Democracy Day On The Highway

Many Nigerians who ventured to travel on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday May 29, 2009 did not need to look far for an open verdict on Nigeria's democracy and how it has fared in ten years of uninterrupted return to civilian rule....Read the full article.

Auspicious · May 31, 2009 , 07:43 PM

And this is the nation's Number 1 Highway..

The main-trunk to the commercial nerve-centre of the Federal Republic.

To say that this is unforunate is an understatement. It is maddening!

Yet, Nigerians continue to 'manage' it all, hoping on God's miracles.

It's like we are so used to it all, that backwardness is now a standard.

Auspicious.

Kingsley Omose · May 31, 2009 , 07:44 PM

The contrast is clear between those who are the real beneficiaries of the dividends of democracy and the lives of the average Nigerians as captured in Abati's experience on May 29.

Dr Abayomi Waheed · May 31, 2009 , 09:31 PM

happy democracy day, all.

ndboy · May 31, 2009 , 10:44 PM

Naija sef.
Can U imagine on democracy day faa?
I watched our only Nobel laureate on Tv(Wole Soyinka),describe how his hair even caught fire while he read a book with a candle.Ordinary power.It's terrible o.Rome burns,Yar'adua snores.Oh boy.

Dapxin · Jun 1, 2009 , 01:22 AM

KonFushan Break Brain! Its pathetic. Very! Nonsense DemoKrazy Indeed.

Anioma777 · Jun 1, 2009 , 03:37 AM

"My sister, how now?" It was a man in the battered car that was now beside me. He was talking to a lady who was walking past his car. I had switched off the air-conditioning and wound down the glass a little.

The lady ignored him.

"Sista, I dey greeet o. Happy democracy day"

"Nonsense democracy day", the lady shot back, quickening her pace as she disappeared into the distance. I tried to check her out in the side mirror. I couldn't see much.

The lady's comment above summoned up Nigeria's democracy and Auspicious comment below:-

It's like we are so used to it all, that backwardness is now a standard.

Anyway my fellow Nigerians we are the "HAPPIEST" people on earth and e go better one day

davsod07 · Jun 1, 2009 , 11:01 AM

wow!
"I thought of Nigeria democracy...it was like the traffic gridlock in which we were trapped" and while this was going on, guess what:
Yaradua was snoring/OBJ was getting it on/IBB dreaming how to spend those billions.

Sesan Ibitoye · Jun 2, 2009 , 05:05 PM

I swam through the "long bridge sea" that democracy day with my wife and boy in tow. What a shame! How did we manage to contrive a flood on a bridge? Well, an update: who ever it is that is in charge of the road has now ordered work on the notorious bridge. I saw some men working to clear the rain duct yesterday. Let's hope they get the "pure water" satchets out of the drain and get water flowing out of the bridge...I fervently pray my boy will not get to wade through flood water on a bridge by the new magic year 2020.

Mikky jaga · Jun 2, 2009 , 06:00 PM

Very beautiful write up. Totally engaging from beginning to the end. The journey is an allegory of Nigeria's march to progress and Nationhood. A journey that normally should take less than 10 minutes took nothing less than 24 hours because some people that were put in charge had other interests than creating a conducive environment for progress to take place unhindered.

Like Abati eventually got to his destination, we will get there one of these days. It may not be on their Democracy day, though.

tonsoyo · Jun 2, 2009 , 06:38 PM

Crying shame!

Nice you still find a way to throw in some humour here.

When will enough be enough?